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Pugsville

The Pugsville Pugs finally made it to the promised destination. Isabella and Byron have give the stamp of approval on their new homestead. It is a far cry from the busy streets of Manhattan that is a good thing too.
The path here ahead is full of sweet smells and peaceful sounds much appreciated and deserved.
So on to great things.
Today is our day.
The outside is calling,
So…we must be on our way.

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We have some exciting news in Pugsville today. It’s official. Pugsville is moving. In July, Pugsville will leave New York City. The city has not always been a compassionate and understanding place. And this is increased with a blind dog. Both Isabella and especially Byron felt that they would be much happier in the quiet of the burbs. After the insane winter of perpetual tears, we all need the serenity and security that the city cannot offer. So we are going back ’home’ to Buffalo NY. Something magical in the winds has been calling us lately. And so we are answering the call. Originally from Buffalo, it feels so exciting to be going back to familiar roots. Right now the most wonderful feeling is having things finally fall into place after watching them fall apart for so long.

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It probably doesn’t seem like a big deal to most but Byron hasn’t wanted to play, with or without a toy, since he went blind. We thought that we would never see Byron be that sporty pug again. He seemed depressed and mopey. But today a door was opened.
He went into his toy bin and started looking for a toy. He found his ball that he use to play with when he was a sighted dog. He immediately wanted to play tug with it. This sort of thing has not happened in months.

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Always in search of products to help Byron get around, adapt, navigate, adjust and be safe, we’ve tried a few products that seem to be better than others.

Our first product that we bought is a Muffin’s Halo, which has very nice story behind its design and testing. The product has been featured in a lot of sites which gave it a lot credibility. They have won the SuperZoo award for best dog product for 2015. Continue reading “Byron’s First Product Review: Muffin’s Halo”→

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This week we looked to the east. Byron had his second treatment of acupuncture. He was an impeccable patient and handled it with the poise and elegance of the regal pug that he is.
A few weeks ago we came to the conclusion to give acupuncture a try. Byron had one of his last defining tests to see if there is a physical reason for his blindness (and maybe a cure). An ERG test (Electroretinogram) was performed. We hesitated about doing this test for a time. We didn’t want to put any more undo stress on him. But thankfully we had a very understanding ophthalmologist who understood our concerns and fears and worked with us to make us comfortable about having the procedure done. We worked it out so Byron would not have to be there all day, being in a cage and not knowing where he is. We would bring him in, have the test done and then bring him home again. Here is a link to the what the test is, as I am not going to to get into the technical aspects of it. ERG article and information

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Our home will by no means ever win the ‘House Beautiful’ award.
But it is getting to be highly functional. We bumpered all the hard edges of the chairs and sharp corners with foam pipe insulation. It was inexpensive and it works great. That in combination with the Tracerz scent markers and things are moving smoothly. It is a small apartment so we don’t know if the size is a hindrance or a benefit to Byron when losing his site is still so recent. Everyone is adjusting to the new situation and with love and patience (and maybe a little luck) anything is possible.

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Well guess where we were again today. That’s right, the vets office. Fear not though, it was just for MORE testing.

Here’s the run-down on what Lord Byron went through today:

Ultra Sound: They were looking to see if any organs were enlarged, tumors, or anything else that wasn’t suppose to be there. Also because they wanted to rule out Cushings, they did look at the adrenal glands for tumors and found nothing.

ACTH StimulationTest: The test may identify adrenal exhaustion (also known as atypical Cushing’s disease), the test is also known as cosyntropin, tetracosactide, or Synacthen test (I don’t know how they get ACTH from that). The test came back with a normal level for Byron.

Urine Cortisol Test: This came back negative which is another indication that rules out Cushings. We brought in a sample from home as the catheter at the vets office is stressful and can cause a positive result (who wouldn’t be stressed).

Blood: They looked at his blood levels again, concerned about the anemia, and was at levels not to be worried about, check that off too.

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Byron went to the vet again today for chest x rays to see about the pneumonia and how everything else looks. His chest is fine, just a slight trace of the pneumonia remains. He doesn’t have to use the nebulizer any more, even though he kinda liked that part. But he has another nine days of antibiotics to take. Thank goodness for ‘Pill Pockets’. They make giving pills so much easier.

The doctor took a urine cortisol/creatine level test, and we’re waiting on the results. Doctor “A” also took some blood for a few other tests, including those for thyroid and estrogen levels. The complete CBC blood panel came back already and he is little anemic, and his liver looks okay after all those steroids. Continue reading “Lord Bryon Update: More Tests”→

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Byron is customizing the new Pugsville royal pet carrier. The staff needed an actual pet carrier for all the frequent trips lately to the vets office. We are assured that it has gotten the royal stamp of ‘Pug Approved’.

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Isabella was really trying hard to be a good patient. She calmly waited for her name to be called. But she was just so happy because today was the day she gets her stitches out. She was so pleased with how everything went that the famous Izzy yodel was heard throughout the office.